96 points
"97 points James Halliday: "Craftmanship of the highest order in the vineyard and winery have combined to create a perfect example this wine. The intensity and power unwind effortlessly, but with multiple aroma and flavour messages from the barrel fermentation and subsequent maturation of the fully ripe, pink grapefruit and peach at its core. "
96 points Wine Spectator: "A deftly balanced Chardonnay of tremendous depth without much weight, floating its pear, quince, floral and orange marmalade flavors through to the end. It's the finish that makes this special, balancing all the elements effortlessly and lingering on and on. Drink now through 2025." (05/2012)
93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2009 Art Series Chardonnay has a wonderfully fragrant nose of honeysuckle, tropical fruits and nectarines over nuances of pink grapefruit and allspice. Full-bodied and richly fruited in the mouth, it is surprisingly harmonious at this youthful stage with a backbone of medium to high acid balancing the ripe, expressive fruit. The finish is long with plenty of tropical fruit layers. Delicious now, it should cellar to 2020+. (93+) " (08/2012)
93 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Light yellow. Pungent aromas of tangerine, peach and white flowers, complicated by a tropical fruit nuance. Juicy, spicy and intense, with tangy acidity lifting flavors of citrus and orchard fruits, ginger and anise. Becomes creamier and spicier with air and finishes on a subtle pineapple note, with impressive clarity and length. The spicy, intensely mineral 2002 version of this wine is drinking very nicely right now, by the way, but still has years of life ahead of it." (07/2012)
K&L Notes: "97 Points: "Medium to light yellow colour, backward for its age. Slightly biscuity, almost musty oak aromas. Took time to open up. The palate is lean and taut, unevolved and crisply acid. Seems to be still very much in its shell. Later: it began to blossom in the glass: powerful, penetrating, long and lingering. Some tropical fruit aromas as well as floral and grapefruit hints. Delicious flavo urs, a magnificent wine with a big future. This continues Leeuwin's change in style to a less oaky and much more restrained style than the blockbusters of yesteryear." huonhooke.com, May 2012. "98/100: "Leeuwin decided to hold this back a few months and it really has come together beautifully. From the first intake of those heady aromas of grapefruit, cereal and subtle roasted cashew. There's some subtle spice in there as well. The palate is a simply glorious expression of the variety with a deep intensity and power that carries with effortless precision to a very long finish. Another great wine with an underlying tightness that will see it age for many years. Cellar: 10 years."The West Australian Wine Guide 2013 by Ray Jordan
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Best 2013-2025